Martin ousts Nieminen in straight sets

Agencies, Stockholm

Todd Martin capitalized on Jarkko Nieminen's inability to win the big points and beat last year's losing finalist 6-3, 7-5 Monday in the first round at the Stockholm Open.

Martin, the 1998 champion and a finalist here in 1996, saved 14 break points during the one hour and 41 minutes match at the Royal Tennis Hall's center court.

The Finn, who failed to convert 20 break points in a second- round loss last week to Juan Carlo Ferrero in the Madrid Masters, had his last two in the match with Martin behind 15-40 but leading 6-5 in the third set.

Nieminen slammed the first one into the net. Martin then saved the next with a volley winner and when the young Finn's return sailed long Martin had his match point. He finished the match with an ace, his sixth in the match.

"I squeezed through quite a few times," Martin said. "I played well. The conditions were difficult. The court is slow for being indoors."

Martin, 32, was playing only his second match since August on the ATP Tour. He lost in the first round of the US Open and his only outing after the final Grand Slam of the year was the Davis Cup tie against France in September, when he played doubles.

Nieminen, who broke through in the Swedish capital last year when he reached the final against Sjeng Schalken, said he felt good in practice and early in the match.

Third seed Guillermo Canas of Argentina, the only seed playing on opening day, needed three sets to beat Brazil's Andre Sa, 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3 and Dutchman Raemon Sluiter beat American Vince Spadea 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the only other singles matches.

Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt is the top seed, having accepted a wild card by the organizers and played Thomas Enqvist in the opening round later on Tuesday.

In Saint Petersburg, Russia, Morocco's sixth-seed Younes El Aynaoui crashed out of the one-million-dollar Saint Petersburg Open here on Monday losing in the first round to Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

The 31-year-old veteran started confidently, breaking his rival twice early into the match to gain a commanding 5-0 lead before Youzhny, who is 40th in the ATP race, chalked up his first point.

Russia's rising talent managed to reduce the arrears when he broke back in the seventh game, but El Aynaoui's lead was never put in doubt as he took the opening set 6-3 in 30 minutes.

The 20-year-old Russian broke early in the second set, clinching a 4-1 advantage, but El Aynaoui broke back to level at 4-4.

However, Youzhny broke again in the 10th game to level the scores at one set all after one hour 15 minutes on court.

In the deciding set Youzhny upped the tempo and went into a 4- 1 lead. He managed to keep his advantage to win the set 6-3 and the match in one hour 50 minutes to record his second win over El Aynaoui in five meetings.

Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus experienced few troubles on his way to the second round, ousting fellow wild-card Michail Elgin of Russia in straight sets 6-4, 6-0

Germany's Nicolas Kiefer cruised comfortably into the second round defeating Israel's 24-year-old Harel Levy 6-0, 6-1 while Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty battled back from a set down to beat Bohdan Ulihrach of Czech Republic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In Linz, Austria, Israeli Anna Smashnova was the first player to reach the second round of the US$585,000 Generali Ladies Open Monday, beating the American Meghann Shaughnessy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Smashnova moved into a small circle of tournament favorites after other top-seed stars pulled out of the competition. Those who canceled include Serena Williams, the world's No. 1-ranked player, as well as Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis.

In other first round action, eighth seed Silvia Farina-Elia of Italy ousted fellow countrywoman Francesca Schiavone in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3, while Russian Elena Dementieva defeated Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 6-1, 6-4.